Man beaten to death over Rs 500 dispute in Haryana's Sirsa; 22 booked

Sirsa, Jul 13 (PTI) A 22-year-old man was allegedly beaten to death with sticks and iron pipes over a dispute involving Rs 500 in Haryana's Sirsa district, police said on Monday. The incident took place in Chhatrian village under the Baragudha police station limits where Ashok Kumar was assaulted by a group of 15-20 individuals, the police said. An FIR was registered against 17 named persons and five unidentified accused under relevant sections of the BNS on the complaint of Kumar's brother, Mukesh. Baragudha SHO Hira Singh said the dispute had been continuing for several months over a Rs 500 transaction between Mukesh and some youths of the village. Despite an attempt by the village panchayat to resolve the matter, tensions persisted. According to the police, Ashok, Mukesh and their uncle were returning from their fields with fodder on a bullock cart on Sunday evening when a group of 15-20 persons allegedly arrived on tractors, cars and motorcycles and intercepted them. While Mukesh and his uncle managed to escape, the attackers allegedly caught Ashok and assaulted him with sticks and iron pipes before fleeing, believing him to be dead. Ashok was first taken to the Baragudha Community Health Centre and later referred to the Sirsa Civil Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries early Monday, police said. The victim's family initially refused to accept the body or perform the last rites until the accused were arrested. However, following assurances from the district administration and police, the cremation was conducted on Monday evening. Police said additional personnel have been deployed in the village as a precautionary measure, though the situation remains peaceful. The SHO said teams have been formed to arrest the accused, including Sahab Ram, Chandresh, Surender and Charanpal, who have been named in the FIR. The investigation is underway. PTI VSD SHS SHS